Tales from the Office on Employee Recognition, Employee Rewards, Life Hacks, Gamification, and Human Resources.

Category Archives: Humor

Hey Shutterstock, we should talk. We love your product, and pay a monthly subscription to use your services. But what’s up with some of these bizarre stock photos? Considering your industry, you’ve surely seen the TV show Corporate, in which the opening credits satirize the unnaturalness of these business “candids.” As frequent users of this platform, we regularly weed through these photos, so we aggregated our favorite worst types of employee rewards shots below.

Why we love/hate this photo: Not obviously weird, but definitely is

At first glance, this photo doesn’t seem particularly odd. Sure, you may notice that the trophy is unusually small to be that excited, but the mystery truly grows as you look closer. Note that the man with the reward isn’t next to anyone – why? Did he receive the reward from someone, walk up to the front of the room, stop whatever presentation is happening in the background, and start cheering himself on? Why does everyone else feel this is acceptable behavior, and that they should support him by clapping?

Why we love/hate this photo: So relatable, and yet so awkward

Ever been on a team that won a trophy? Correction: ever been on a super competitive team that can’t decide on who gets to hold the trophy? I can hear the photographer’s instruction now: “Okay everyone, settle down. You there, move your hands down so that everyone can touch at least part of the trophy. Even a finger will do. Everyone, get closer… closer… got it!”

Why we love/hate this photo: Violence in the workplace should never be celebrated

Why is this man about to punch this trophy? Did he receive it for doing something unsavory? Did he lose a championship in an annual competition and is now forced to give it to someone else? Unless it’s one of those two circumstances, there are no logical explanations for anyone would find themselves in this position. So who is using this photo in their promotional materials?

Why we love/hate this photo: Excitement or the moment before applying for worker’s comp?

This is what happens when companies splurge on team-building exercises once a year but don’t follow up with necessary HR resources when needed. This woman is about to do a trust fall, but wait, there’s no one there to catch her!

Why we love/hate this photo: Mansplaining summarized in one photo

Here’s a thought experiment: imagine this photo from the woman’s perspective. A man hovers over her, steadily approaching with outstretched thumbs. Is he going for her eyes? She covers herself for protection, laughing to keep him happy, but is moments from running away. A chilling image for sure, Shutterstock.

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More now than ever, people are skipping out at work. How many times has someone said, “I’m working from home today” and sure they are on Slack and Skype, but when you call them they are clearly at the beach or a day time rave.